What is CPD?

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the learning professionals complete to ensure their skills and knowledge remain up to date. It reflects the fact that, in today’s fast-changing world, knowledge gained through qualifications can become outdated. It ensures CII members have the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in a competitive market.

It helps them to:

Build public confidence and credibility
Adapt positively to change by continuously updating skills
Support any career goals by focusing on relevant training and development
Be more productive and efficient by reflecting on your learning and highlighting gaps in your knowledge and experience and planning action accordingly

CII members can listen to a podcast by CII Executive Director of Strategy, Advocacy and Professional Standards and Head of Professional Standards on the importance of CPD.

CPD can be either structured or unstructured. A CPD activity may qualify as structured CPD if it is pre-planned, addresses a specific development need and has defined learning outcomes. Unstructured CPD is learning completed that was not undertaken to meet a specific and defined development need. Some examples of CPD are set out below.

CII members may complete their own planned CPD or complete learning through their employers. The CII also offers CPD to members via the Assess platforms, the Learning Content Hub, Local Institutes and PFS Regions. Members can plan their CPD using the Professional Map.

Activity	Definition	Evidence to keep as proof *	Structured or unstructured
Training courses & workshops	Interactive, participative course provided by employer or external third party which sets clear objectives and learning outcomes.	Attendance certificate or written/email confirmation of attendance from training provider or employer Course/workshop outline or agenda showing what was covered and learning objectives Presentation slides Reflections on outcome	Structured – involves activity which has stated learning outcomes, activity designed to address these and some form of assessment or reflection; and addresses an identified learning need.
Conferences, seminars & webinars	Informative presentation or series on topics provided by internal or external subject experts.	Attendance certificate, conference pass or written/email confirmation of attendance from event provider where possible Event schedule showing what was covered and learning objectives (if applicable) Reflections on outcome	Structured - involves activity which has stated learning outcomes, activity designed to address these and some form of assessment or reflection; and addresses an identified learning need.
Studying for exam	Any one examination offered by examining body which is business related, including all related study. Excludes time spent in an exam sitting.	Copy of qualification certificate or exam entry confirmation (if not CII) Copy of exam syllabus (if not CII) Information received from employer (if applicable)	Structured - involves activity which has stated learning outcomes, activity designed to address these and some form of assessment or reflection; and addresses an identified learning need.
Formal discussions/ meetings	Facilitated by third party (internal or external), e.g. focus groups, research initiatives, committees or technical events. Excludes social events.	Meeting agenda or written details of purpose of discussion Official minutes of meeting/discussion or written confirmation of participation by organisers Written confirmation of participation by organisers (if not CII) Copies of research results	Normally unstructured - involves activity which does not have stated learning objectives, and supporting activity and assessments designed to reinforce these. Typically cover identified learning points incidentally.
On-the-job training	Interactive & participative discussion and instruction by a subject expert.	Written confirmation from employer that training has taken place Broad outline of what has been covered Reflections on outcome of training	Structured - involves activity which has stated learning outcomes, activity designed to address these, and some form of assessment or reflection; and addresses identified learning need.
Training others	Providing interactive & participative discussion, lectures, tutoring and/or instruction for others which involves setting objectives and learning outcomes.	Written confirmation from training organisers or copies of marketing literature for course showing you as the trainer Copies of course outline, learning objectives & outcomes Reflections on outcomes of training work in relation to learning and development needs	Preparation for training is structured, e.g. updating knowledge on subjects, attending courses on developing training skills. Delivery of training is unstructured - involves activity which does not have stated learning objectives, and supporting activity and assessments designed to reinforce these. Instead these typically cover identified learning points incidentally.
Self-managed learning	Personal learning on one subject which is formally assessed by a third party subject expert, e.g. distance learning where assignments are sent to tutors for marking.	Confirmation of enrolment (if applicable) Course outline showing content, learning objectives and outcomes Copies of tutor marked assignments Reflections on outcome of learning	Structured - involves activity which has stated learning outcomes, activity designed to address these, and some form of assessment or reflection; and addresses identified learning need.
E-learning	Online packages which set clear objectives and learning outcomes and assessment measures.	Confirmation of modules and/or assessments completed (can be screen printouts).	Structured - activity has stated learning outcomes, activity is designed to address these, and some form of assessment or reflection; and addresses identified learning need.
Exam setting & moderation	Setting and moderating any exam offered by an examining body which is business related. Includes all associated study options.	Details of exams worked on (e.g. name, awarding body and content outline) Written confirmation from relevant awarding body of participation (if not CII) Reflections on outcomes of examining work in relation to your learning and development needs.	Preparation for the exam setting is structured, e.g. updating your subject knowledge to inform your examining work. Moderation work would be unstructured (activity which does not have stated learning objectives, and supporting activity and assessments designed to reinforce these. Instead these typically cover identified learning points incidentally).
Technical authorship	Writing articles, reports, books, instruction manuals, etc which are published for use by others.	Copies of items you've written and details of the publications they appeared in or who they were distributed to If you have written a book provide details, e.g. title, publisher, year of publication and ISBN number if applicable.	Structured - involves activity which; has stated learning outcomes, activity designed to address these; and some form of assessment or reflection; and addresses an identified learning need.
Reading & viewing	Technical and trade publications, fact files, bulletins/regular updates, manuals, professional briefs, journals, financial or trade press, podcasts and relevant discussions via social media, e.g. LinkedIn Use of video (DVDs, You Tube, websites, etc), TV, audio and other media.	Does not require evidence unless you wish to claim it as structured CPD activity (see notes in next column). If so, provide details of learning outcomes or research reasons for undertaking reading or use of other media.	Structured - reading done with specific purpose in mind, e.g. to meet specified learning and development need or because you are researching topic for work-based project and material used has been produced to meet specific learning outcome. Unstructured - purpose is to keep up-to-date with what is happening in the industry at a general level or the material used has not been produced to meet a specific learning outcome.
Mentoring	Providing instruction, guidance and support to trainees or examination students.	Written confirmation from employer (if applicable) or mentee Reflections on outcomes of mentoring work in relation to your learning and development needs.	Preparation for certain aspects of mentoring is structured, e.g. attending training course on developing mentoring skills.

* If you are selected to have your CPD record audited, it is not a requirement for you to send in supporting evidence at the point of audit. However, you should keep evidence of what you have done and be able to produce it if requested in support of your CPD record.

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